ESRL Global Systems Division

NOAA's MADIS Data Management System Expands to Global Data Coverage

In March 2006, ESRL's Global Systems Division made
significant progress in extending the geographic coverage of its
datasets by expanding the surface observations supported by the
Meteorological Assimilation Data Ingest System (MADIS). MADIS now
provides access to real-time global METAR observations, as well as
observations from several other surface networks with coverage outside
the U.S. Networks in this category include the Global Learning and
Observations to Benefit the Environment network, the Plataformas de
Coleta de Dados network operated by the Ministry of Science and
Technology in Brazil, and the Citizen Weather Observer Program
network, which currently features real-time observations from over 50
countries. Other MADIS datasets that provide international
observations include radiosonde, maritime, automated aircraft,
profiler, and satellite datasets.

MADIS is a data
management system developed at ESRL/GSD that ingests, integrates,
quality controls, and distributes surface and upper-air datasets to
the meteorological community. Among these datasets is an integrated
mesonet database containing high-frequency real-time observations from
over 19,000 mesonet stations across the country and around the world.
The mesonet database includes Road Weather Information System
observations from state Departments of Transportation, as well as
real-time observations from the Remote Automated Weather Stations
network, the Cooperative Mesonets in the Western U.S. network, the
WeatherBug network operated by AWS Convergence Technologies, Inc., and
many others. Organizations receiving MADIS data feeds include National
Weather Service (NWS) forecast offices, the NWS National Centers for
Environmental Prediction, the National Center for Atmospheric
Research, and many major universities and commercial weather
businesses. Saved observations are available online via the MADIS FTP
server; real-time observations are viewable on the
Web.

MADIS integrates other-agency and private-network
observations with NOAA observations and makes them easily accessible
and usable to the greater meteorological community. By doing so, it is
serving one of NOAA's main mission goals to "Serve Society's Needs for
Weather and Water Information." Additionally, MADIS supplies non-NOAA
data providers with quality control and station monitoring information
to assist in their maintenance activities and to enhance and promote
the mutual benefits of public/private data sharing.